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I'm glad they are adding the cameras but why is a "warning only" period warranted? To give the commuters sufficient time to acclimate to having to stop at the lights? Really?! Thunk.

I think it's more of a PR thing. People would be VERY angry (and vocal at public meetings) if they started getting tickets from a new camera without having gotten any warning beforehand. Now, did they say anything about changes to how long the yellow light would display before turning red? There have been situations in the past where yellow lights were shortened (or claimed to be shortened) when a red light camera was installed which led to public outcry which led to removal of the camera.

Btw, yes, I agree it's ridiculous that for the next month drivers now have the option to run the red light there without risk of getting a ticket/fine. Just... don't tell them that

I think this is fairly standard - at least I know this happens elsewhere. I think it is to get drivers used to having to obey the law when they do not see a cop actually present. Unless they wish to pay a fine, which often doesn't count against their license.

In general it does not, because it is not possible to be certain who was driving. Camera infractions are fine only.

On May 5, 2016, Ryan Brown, an Alexandria father of two and a Utah native, was riding his bike home from work when he was hit by a car that ran a red light at the West Taylor and Duke Street intersection. Ryan was thrown 50 feet, resulting in a traumatic brain injury, and a broken leg, shoulder and three vertebrae. He spent almost 4 weeks emerging from a coma at GW University Hospital in Washington, D.C. until he was transferred to National Rehabilitation Hospital at the beginning of June. While the broken bones have all healed, Ryan's recovery from his brain injury will be a long and slow process. After nearly four months of being in the hospital, he is set to be discharged on September 2, but still faces many more months of recovery with therapy to regain lost skills and help his brain rewire. Ryan is a fighter and has responded well to therapy and treatment so far. We're hoping that once he's back home he'll improve even faster with his wife and kids around him. His number one goal is to get back to being a father and husband and taking part in those responsibilities again. Unfortunately, insurance is not expected to cover all the costs of Ryan's care and recovery. Donations will be used for his continued therapy, care, and medical costs not covered by insurance.

I sent a donation to the family a couple of months ago. I received this more detailed update last night:

Hello All,

I wanted to give you all an update on Ryan Brown, the cyclist who was hit by a car at Duke and West Taylor on May 5, 2016. You donated to the initial fund set up to help with medical expenses and I wanted to let you know how much your donation is appreciated and how far Ryan has come since then as there were only a few updates to the donation site earlier in May.

After the crash, Ryan was taken to GW University Hospital and remained there for nearly four weeks as he gradually emerged from his coma. He suffered a traumatic brain injury involving bleeds in multiple areas of his brain along with a broken upper right arm, broken right leg, and broken neck. He was admitted to National Rehabilitation Hospital early in June where he began receiving daily receiving physical, occupational, and speech therapy to help him regain lost skills. Upon entry Ryan was barely able to speak, could not feed himself, could not walk or hardly move his own body, and could not perform any self care tasks. Ryan was released from the hospital this past Friday, September 2nd. He can now walk with assistance as he still lacks some balance and his vision is impaired, though improving. He speaks clearly and as well as can be expected while still having issues with breath control, intonation, and organization. He can perform most daily self care tasks with assistance and supervision. Overall, he has made great gains in the past four months and is doing exceptionally well considering the severity of his injury. He started outpatient therapy today at Mount Vernon Inova Rehab and we are still hopeful that he will be able to return to many, if not all of the things he loved to do, though it is expected to take many more months.

To help with his ongoing recovery costs, the family has set up a new donation site at https://www.youcaring.com/ryanbrownrecovery You can see photos of Ryan’s recovery process on this site as well as get continued updates on his progress. Please spread the word by sharing it!

Thank you again for support in Ryan’s recovery journey. We could not do this without the outpouring of support we have had from family, friends, and the community!

A colleague visited with Ryan and his wife Jessica last week. Here are his comments.

It was great to see that Ryan has steadily improved since returning from the hospital in September and that he and Jessica are both optimistic for continued improvement. Progress in his recovery has been steady, with welcome changes, such as Jessica recently being able to safely leave Ryan at home alone when she leaves the house for a few hours.

"Ryan's balance continues to gradually improve. Last week, he performed a task where he walks in and out of a set of cones. Last week, he walked independently through the cones at a fairly swift pace and only clipped one cone." [see video]

"Slowly we are seeing Ryan's ability to emote come back as well. He is expressing some sadness and anger in response to what happened to him, but he has also started laughing consistently in the past couple of weeks and it has been a huge relief to all of us. We didn't hear a laugh at all for six months."

If you or someone you know works for the Federal Government and are in a position to donate leave to help someone in need, Ryan could use your help. The crash last May, left Ryan with severe injuries, including a traumatic head injury that currently precludes him from returning to his job at the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO).

A leave donation form with Ryan's information is provided here: https://goo.gl/Au9Wrd. Per Ryan's wife, Jessica, "the process is that the donating employee fills this form out and gives it to the Leave Donation Coordinator in the HR department of the agency they work for and from there, it goes to the Leave Donation Coordinator at the Patent and Trademark Office, who will complete the process." Anyone who has questions can email Jessica directly at jessi77@mac.com

If you are unable to donate leave, you can also donate money to help with their living expenses.

Last edited by CaseyKane50; 03-28-2017 at 09:49 PM.
Reason: Changed minutes to hours and add Trademark

Ryan is a survivor. From the moment he was hit, he fought and he continues to push forward courageously. The statistics were against him. Most with his kind of injuries either die or remain in a permanent vegetative state. He has defied the odds and made steady gains from the time he landed in the hospital. The best predictor of the future recovery from brain injury is past recovery, so we expect so many more good things to come in time for Ryan.

It's a pretty tough read. I'm still pretty angry that the driver wasn't cited for running the red light and hitting him. But he is back on a bike according to the article, even if his life will likely never be the same after the accident.